Washington, D.C. — Tomorrow, President Donald Trump will travel to Colorado Springs to hold an event at the Broadmoor World Arena alongside Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), where he will likely tout his administration’s economic record. In a statement, the White House previewed what will likely be at the center of his message to Coloradans, saying, “The Trump economy continues to soar with Colorado having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the entire nation.”
In reality, the Trump administration’s record in Colorado tells a different story. In the 36 months since Trump took office, Colorado has seen private sector jobs grow by 7 percent—a decrease from the same point in President Barack Obama’s second term, when Colorado saw 10.5 percent private sector job growth. Moreover, the unemployment rate in Colorado is only down 0.2 percent from the time Trump took office, and is only down 1.1 percent nationwide.
President Trump also promised Colorado workers that his policies would raise wages, but the recent wage growth in the state is largely due to the statewide minimum wage increase signed into law by the Democratic governor in 2017. President Trump threatened to veto a federal minimum wage bill, which denied 718,000 Coloradans a pay increase.
In previous visits to the state, President Trump also promised that he would take care of Dreamers and ensure access to great health care. In reality, however, the administration has failed to deliver on Trump’s basic promises to Colorado working families.
Learn more about how President Trump’s policies and broken promises have hurt Colorado families here.
Health care
Promise: President Trump promised Colorado families: “[W]e can … save health care for every family in Colorado.” – Donald Trump in Denver, November 5, 2016
Reality: The Trump administration launched an all-out attack on Americans health care by trying to repeal and sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including backing a lawsuit in the courts right now. If the ACA is repealed:
- 2.4 million Coloradans with preexisting conditions will lose protections.
- 400,000 Coloradans will lose their health coverage.
- The average Colorado family would see an average annual premium increase of $2,830 as of 2019.
Profits and wages
Promise: President Trump promised Colorado families: “I will be the greatest jobs President that God ever created … and our poorer citizens will get new jobs and higher pay and new hope for their life.” – Donald Trump, October 5, 2016
Reality: The Trump administration has taken away safeguards that ensure workers are paid overtime, protect retirees from exploitative financial advisers, and ensure that people pay less at the gas pump. Due to the Trump administration’s policies, Coloradans will lose:
Dreamers
Promise: President Trump promised Dreamers: “We’re going to work something out that’s going to make people happy and proud. [Dreamers] got brought here at a very young age, they’ve worked here, they’ve gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs.”– Donald Trump, November 28, 2016
Reality: Donald Trump assured Dreamers that they should “rest easy,” and he was not interested in targeting them for deportation. But less than a year after taking office, his administration ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program.
- Colorado Dreamers are crucial to the state’s economy. They pay more than $270 million in federal taxes and more than $130 million in state and local taxes, and they spend $1.2 billion on goods and services, boosting the economy.
Taxes
Promise: President Trump promised Colorado families: “I’ve made a centerpiece of my economic revitalization plan the largest middle-class tax cut.” – Donald Trump in Loveland, Colorado, October 3, 2016
Reality: Most of the Trump administration’s $2 trillion tax cut goes to corporations and the rich. Many Colorado families are getting stuck with the bill.
- 181,520 Colorado families paid more in taxes last year due to the Trump administration’s tax bill.
- In Colorado, the average tax cut for the wealthiest 1 percent was $57, 210, while the bottom 80 percent of earners saw a small fraction of that.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Freedom Alexander Murphy at [email protected] or 202-796-9712.